In communications systems, synchronization between devices may be of very high importance. For example, a communications system may require adequate functionality of various features, such as video playback, across devices through wire-line or wireless communication. To enable such playback, the system may employ one or more communications standards to ensure functionality, which may require high synchronization between devices. Without such standards, insufficient synchronization may lead to problems in functionality; for example, a communications system that enables video playback with insufficient synchronization may experience drift between the audio and video components of audio-visual material, especially if the devices are wirelessly connected to the video playback device.
Standards such as those implemented by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), such as the MPEG-2 coding standard for video and associated audio, may be used to specify the storage and transmission of audio-visual material. The MPEG-2 standard, for example, specifies separate audio, visual, and system coding layers to enable operations between component devices by transmitting MPEG-2 streams. Even with such standards, however, existing control systems may not effectively enable sufficient synchronization for the purposes of audio and video playback in various environments, such as audio and video playback within a motor vehicle.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to synchronize devices communicating through MPEG streams in a communications system. In particular, it would be desirable to synchronize the timing between a transmitter of an MPEG stream with the timing of a receiver of the MPEG, adjusting for timing errors between the devices.